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Volume XXIII,
Number 11
March 29, 2002
The Month In Review

1015 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
202-347-7474
Fax 202-898-0068
www.acec.org

E-mail acec@acec.org

Ellen Mullally, Editor
Francis George, Production Manager
___________________

 ACEC Means
Business

ACEC Announces New Market Forecast Series

ACEC is launching a new "Market Forecast Series" next month. The programs will take place in Washington, D.C., but they will also be broadcast live via teleconference and the Internet so that members all over the country can participate. The first event in the new series will be held at noon on Thursday, April 4. The speaker will be David Eakin, chief engineer in the General Services Administration’s Office of the Chief Architect. For more information on the series and future speakers, including charges for attending or listening in, contact Roger Doucette (202-347-7474, rdoucette@acec.org) at ACEC.

Convention Brochure Is In The Mail!

The "Viva Las Vegas" brochure for ACEC’s 2002 Annual Convention May 12-15 has been mailed to all members. If you can’t wait, go to http://www.acec.org and print out a copy. To book a room, call "convention central," the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, at 1-888-746-6955 and reference "ACEC." The cut-off date for hotel reservations and early bird registration is April 12, so act quickly.

Member Certification Update

Member organizations that have not already done so, should submit membership Certification Update Forms by March 31. The fax number is 202-898-0068. Call Stephanie Colbert at 202-347-7474 if you have any questions.

Register Today For ACEC’s CEO Retreat

There’s still time to register for ACEC’s CEO Retreat April 10-12 in Marco Island, Fla. Speakers will examine numerous areas of interest, including ownership transition, personnel and human resources issues, technology directions, strategic positioning and the marketplace, and management development.

For more information or to register, go to http://www.acec.org/
meetmein/seminars/ceo.pdf or contact Nancy Mosely (nmosely@acec.org or 202-682-4324).

ACEC’s Human Resources Seminar Is Taking A Road Trip!

ACEC is taking employee retention and ownership transition issues on the road with the Human Resources Seminar, which will visit eight cities during a two-week period in June!

Dates and locations will be announced soon; check www.acec.org for more information or contact Anna Johnson (ajohnson@acec.org, 202-682-4349).

Health And Safety Guidelines: An Important Resource

ACEC’s new Risk Management Safety Guidelines contain all of the information necessary to help a firm immediately implement a health and safety plan.

"Having a health and safety program sends a strong message about your firm’s commitment to the well-being of each employee," said James Suttle, executive vice president of HDR Engineering and vice-chair of ACEC’s Risk Management Committee.

To order this important resource, contact Rina Lee (publications@acec.org, 202-682-4332).

A Blueprint For Winning Proposals

Do you know how to write a successful proposal? If not, the 2002 edition of Proposals: On Target, On Time is your blueprint for preparing winning proposals that make the best and smartest use of your resources. To order this hot new publication, go to www.acec.org/publications (publication W-415-01) or contact Rina Lee (publications@acec.org, 202-682-4332).

Federal Markets Conference Opportunities

If you are not one of the 200 people who attended the Federal Markets Conference at CCD, you now have the opportunity to listen to the audio recordings and review the conference presentations which are available for purchase through ACEC’s Publications Department. Contact Rina Lee (publications@acec.org or 202-347-7474) for more information.

Conference attendees heard officials from federal agencies (such as GSA, FEMA, NIH, and The World Bank) present their latest programs including domestic infrastructure security and Afghanistan reconstruction. One attendee noted, "If you do, or even want to do, federal government work, this [was] a must attend conference for long-term planning."

Project Management Training: Closer Than You Think

Online courses cost one-third less than off-site classroom training, consume half the time, and allow you to take the course in the comfort of your own office. ACEC, in conjunction with SmartPros.com, now provides online courses to all engineering firms and individuals embracing distance learning. View a full list of available courses at http://knowledge.smartpros
.com/x31180.xml.

Selling Your Services On The Cheap?

According to the Spring 2002 edition of ACEC Dialog, the Council’s key resource for timely business tips, "Certain aspects of engineering go beyond the normal scope of services and provide the client necessary information that may be of value far in excess of the fee generally charged. This is the premise behind value pricing, a method by which compensation is based on the worth of the services provided to a client or the increased risk absorbed by the design professional, rather than the actual cost. ACEC member firm professionals, tasked with the promotion of best business and professional management practices, unanimously determined that engineers are selling their services on the cheap."

ACEC Dialog will arrive in your mailbox soon. For more information, contact Anna Johnson (ajohnson@acec.org, 202-682-4349).

Thank You!

Thanks to the Gold and Patron sponsors for the March 12 EEA gala: DPIC Companies (Gold Sponsor); and Camp Dresser & McKee Inc., Earth Tech Inc., Figg Engineering Group, HDR Engineering Inc., HNTB Corporation, Prudential Financial, and The Thornton-Tomasetti Group (Patron Sponsors). We appreciate your support!

 

GA Report

This week's edition:
 March 29, 2002

Record-Breaking CCD Events Attract Key Leaders

More than 1,000 members came to Washington, D.C. March 11-13 for ACEC’s Consulting Congress Day (CCD), Federal Markets Conference, and the Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) gala.


EPA Administrator Christine Todd
Whitman, flanked by ACEC Chairman
Stephen Goddard (left) and President
Dave Raymond (right), thanked
ACEC members for “improving
America’s quality of life.”
Key figures highlighting CCD events included:

¨ EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman

¨ Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert

¨ Army Corps of Engineers Chief, Lt. General Robert Flowers

¨ House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young

¨ House Government Reform Committee Chairman Dan Burton

¨ Fox News political analyst Charlie Cook; and many others.

CCD lobbying focused on four key priorities:

¨ restoration of transportation funding

¨ passage of multi-billion-dollar water infrastructure legislation in 2002

¨ passage of ACEC’s legislation to reform the Fair Labor Standards Act

¨ fighting legislative efforts to curtail outsourcing.

"I’ve been going to these things for more than 20 years, and this was the best ever by far," said ACEC/Louisiana Executive Director Warren Wilder. "It was one helluva show; first class all the way, well-coordinated and hitting all of our main issues."

Added Kenneth Koch, vice president of Turner Collie & Braden, "This year’s CCD event was extremely well organized and effective. We were really here at the right time with the right message."

ACEC’s "Citizen Lobbyists" Successful On Capitol Hill


House Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee Chairman Don Young
(R-Alaska) (center) meets with
ACEC/Georgia members (l to r) Al
Pond, Don Allen, Ed Ellis, Bruce
Moulds, and Executive Director Tom
Leslie.
ACEC members from all over the country descended on Capitol Hill to lobby members of the House and Senate.

These "citizen lobbyists" visited nearly 300 Hill offices. ACEC Chairman Steve Goddard led a delegation to visit with House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) (See related article, p.2).

It appeared that success was achieved in urging the House Budget Committee to restore at least $4.4 billion in federal highway funding for 2003.


 "CCD 2002...Best Ever By Far"

                Warren Wilder, Executive Director
                American Council of Engineering
               Companies of Louisiana

ACEC also received solid commitments of support for water infrastructure legislation and secured cosponsors for H.R. 3678, ACEC’s legislation to protect member firms from unfair enforcement actions under the FLSA.

"Our members are the heart and soul of ACEC’s advocacy efforts," said ACEC President Dave Raymond. "The success of CCD 2002 shows how citizen lobbyists can be an effective force in driving ACEC’s legislative priorities forward."

Young To Restore Federal Transportation Funding

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska) emphasized his commitment to restore federal transportation funding, and thanked ACEC members for leading the charge on this important bipartisan legislation.


House Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee Chairman Don Young.
Speaking at an ACEC/PAC reception on March 11, and again during the CCD luncheon the following day, Young said with ACEC’s help on the reauthorization of TEA-21, "we will have a bill as good or better" than the current program.

Young was joined at the CCD luncheon by nationally recognized political analyst Charlie Cook, who told the crowd, "This truly is an historic election year. There is absolute partisan equilibrium out there." He predicted that the Republicans will hold onto the House, that the Senate is "going to be a photo finish," and that the Democrats will probably pick up a few governorships.

House Speaker Supports Outsourcing


Speaker of the House
Dennis Hastert.
House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) expressed his support for ACEC’s key priorities during a private meeting in his Capitol office with ACEC Chairman Steve Goddard and President Dave Raymond.

Speaker Hastert confirmed that the House Budget Committee would restore transportation spending to TEA-21 authorized levels, and expressed strong support for a number of other key ACEC issues, including reforming the Fair Labor Standards Act, outsourcing and water infrastructure. The interview with Speaker Hastert will be featured in the May/June issue of Engineering Inc.

EPA Administrator Whitman Praises ACEC

More than 700 ACEC members and their guests were on hand March 12 for the EEA Gala and Reception, at which Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Christine Todd Whitman said, "We in this administration… appreciate the work that you do."

She said that her father was an engineer, and in reference to September 11, thanked ACEC’s members for "stepping in on one of the worst days in our country’s history." She aked for the Council’s help in meeting EPA’s major challenges: "ensuring that the air is cleaner, the water is purer and the land is better protected."

TAMS/ARUP Wins Grand Conceptor

The EEA presentation was hosted for the 4th straight year by Emmy-winner Ross Shafer, who kept the audience in stitches with his unique descriptions of the winning projects. The evening’s top honor, the Grand Conceptor Award, went to the New York City-based team of TAMS Consultants and ARUP for leading the design of Terminal 4 at New York’s JFK International Airport. The 24 EEA winners will be featured in the May/June issue of Engineering Inc.

EEA Gala Features Patriotic Tribute And Message From President Bush


ACEC Chairman Steve Goddard
(right) presents a flag that flew over the
U.S. Capitol to representatives of
The Washington Group International
to honor their 9/11 fatalities.
This year’s EEA Gala featured a special patriotic tribute to those ACEC members who suffered fatalities on Sept. 11 and those who participated in the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero and the Pentagon.

Representatives from The Washington Group International and Langan Engineering and Environmental Services were each presented with a flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol to honor their tragic losses on Sept. 11.

The Thornton Tomasetti Group was honored for coordinating engineering efforts in the rescue and recovery activities in New York. All member companies who worked at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and infrastructure security throughout the U.S. were recognized.

ACEC President Dave Raymond read a letter from President Bush as part of the tribute: "In the aftermath of the tragic events of September 11, 2001...your profession’s skill and dedication have helped rebuild buildings and restore spirits…I commend you for your many contributions to our country and our economy."

Congressional Leaders Brief Top ACEC/PAC Donors

  
From the Millennium Club luncheon:
(Left photo) ACEC Chairman Steve
Goddard (left) and Rep. Dan Burton
(R-Ind.); (Right photo) Rep. Roy Blunt
(R-Mo.) (left) and Eric Flicker of
Pennoni Associates.
Members of the exclusive ACEC/PAC Millennium Club received an insiders’ briefing from key Congressional leaders, including Rep. Roy Blunt (Mo.), who’s expected to be the next House Majority Whip.

Other guests included Rep. Dan Burton (Ind.), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee; Rep. Thomas Petri (Wisc.), chairman of the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee; Sen. Larry Craig (Idaho), of the Appropriations Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee; Rep. Robin Hayes (N.C.); and Rep. John Boozman (Ark.), of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Chairman Petri expressed his strong support for boosting the Federal-Aid Highway Program beyond the funding level authorized in TEA-21. Chairman Burton echoed this sentiment: "I intend to do everything I can to make sure the Highway Trust Funds are released to the individual states so that we can make sure the highways and the infrastructure are handled properly."

Infrastructure Security Partnership Launched At CCD Signing Ceremony

The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP) held a signing ceremony in Washington, D.C., March 11 in conjunction with ACEC’s Federal Markets Conference. ACEC is a founding member of TISP, an organization that was created following the events of Sept. 11 to offer technical support and comment on public policy related to the security of the nation’s built environment.

The standing-room-only ceremony included participants from ACEC, NASA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Coast Guard, the Public Health Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the American Society of American Military Engineers.

ACEC President Dave Raymond noted during his remarks that "the collaboration between engineers and public servants at Ground Zero exemplifies the kind of collaboration between the public and private sectors that is now required on an ongoing basis as a part of the infrastructure security partnership."

Iowa, Louisiana Adopt New Name

Iowa and Louisiana are the latest MOs (the 23rd and 24th, respectively) to adopt the new name and national standard. As the map indicates, a number of other MOs are either in the process of changing their names or are considering doing so.

"I am delighted that our Iowa board unanimously voted to adopt the name American Council of Engineering Companies of Iowa. This action was taken to meet the strong business interests of Iowa’s members," said veteran Executive Director Dave Scott. "For the 20-plus years that I’ve had the privilege to serve Iowa’s members, we have aggressively pursued our own legislative and business interests... That will be enhanced by the new name as we bring additional national recognition and clout to bear on local interests and vice versa."

ACEC/Louisiana Executive Director Warren Wilder explained, "Louisiana approved the name change because of the great value to us of consistency with the national name. Our legislative and business program is stronger and we will derive even greater strength as all MOs make the switch to the uniform name and look."

Consensus At Spring Leadership Summit

The ACEC Spring Leadership Summit held on March 11 with 80 participants from 29 Member Organizations (MOs) showed clear consensus in support of major proposals that will be voted on by the national directors during May’s Annual Convention in Las Vegas.

The MO leadership endorsed the draft Strategic Plan as well as the plan to hold the Annual Convention in conjunction with Consulting Congress Day on a trial basis in April 2005 and 2006.

A position statement on government outsourcing was endorsed with recommended changes to further strengthen the statement. A bylaws change that would allow the chair-elect to be chosen from any MO regardless of whether an individual from the same MO is already serving on the Executive Committee was strongly supported, with a proposed modification that no two individuals from the same firm could serve on ExCom at the same time.

Jim Kurgan, president of the Pennsylvania MO, said that "the meeting was well-run and issues were discussed in a meaningful way. I am pleased with the leadership and direction of the organization."    

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